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Poll: Would you buy a Hyundai i20?

March 20, 2014

Last week we asked you if you'd be interested in a Nissan Micra, which is built in Mexico and is available in Canada and dozens of other countries, but not in the U.S. A substantial majority of our readers, 77 percent, voted that they would be interested in buying the $9,100 Micra if it was sold in America, a slightly lower percentage than for most of our past foreign-vehicle polls (which were all quite different, it should be noted). The Micra essentially offers the same engine and almost the same amount of interior space as the Nissan Versa Note at 2/3 the price of a stateside Note, which is already considered to be about as spartan as it gets despite a $14,780 price tag.

As far as point A to point B transportation goes, the Micra is indeed rather basic by western standards, though as equipped for the Canadian market, it has enough goodies to get people to line up in droves -- that segment is preposterously huge in Canada. But we suspect that the Micra would inflict a serious hit to Versa sales if it were offered here, since we're living in an age when consumers are now better informed than a lot of dealers when it comes to vehicle stats. People might look at the two on the Internets, and it would be apparent within five minutes of research that the Micra offers 90 percent of what the Versa does, and costs $5,680 less. In that segment the gap between the $9,100 Micra and the $14,780 Versa is serious dough, to use a technical term.

This week we have something similar on offer, another city car by an automaker with massive presence in the U.S., but one that undercuts their current smallest offering on our shores. Hyundai has come a long way since its debut in America, to the point where it is now retracing the steps of Japanese automakers 25 years ago and fielding impressive luxury cars. But Hyundai hasn't forgotten which side of its bread is buttered, and the ratio of Equus and Genesis sedans to Hyundai Accent hatches is pretty far apart. While the Accent is the South Korean automaker's smallest and most affordable offering on our shores, in other world markets (just about everywhere except North America) it offers an even smaller car, one that's not a bad looker.

It's called the Hyundai i20, and this three-door and five-door hatch has become quite popular in other markets.

Interior amenities aren't particularly extensive, but the latest options like USB ports and Bluetooth connectivity are there. Photo by Hyundai

One of the engines powering the smartphone-named i20 is a 1.1-liter 74-hp three-cylinder diesel that achieves (get this) a combined 73 mpg U.S., a figure that, it's safe to say, most hybrid owners are probably unfamiliar with. Paired with a six-speed manual transmission, we're pretty sure a lot of novice hypermilers will be able to coax well north of 85 mpg out of the small hatch on the interstate without too much effort. The price for this absurdity is a trip to 60 mph that takes 15 seconds, but lest we forget Volvo sedans from the 1990s came within a couple seconds of that figure by huffing and puffing with their inline-sixes.

If you're not an aficionado of preposterously good fuel economy, manual transmissions, or engines that sound warbly, there are 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter gas units that will still return north of 40 mpg. In fact, the most "decadent" engine choice is the 1.4-liter gas unit which will return a combined 43 mpg while producing 99-hp. Still, the fastest sprinter in the range only gets to 60 mph in 12.7 seconds.

The i20 is available in three door and five door form. Photo by Hyundai

Overseas reviewers of the i20 did not give it high marks for interior style, but then again this isn't a premium French subcompact with a price to match. Still, nicely specced, the i20 includes all the goodies that buyers care about, and Hyundai has obviously spent a great deal of effort making the interior a pleasant place to be in. You'll find an iPhone socket in the i20 (the car's namesake, we suspect), Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, rain-sensing wipers, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, and standard air conditioning on most models.

The price? In the Spanish market, the i20 starts at the equivalent of $10,755. That's about the cheapest way to get into an i20. Hyundai has an even smaller car, the i10, but curiously enough, its fuel efficiency stats aren't as compelling as those of the i20.